First Nations Food Companion by Damien Coulthard and Rebecca Sullivan

This book was created on the traditional lands of the Ngadjuri, Kaurna, Cammeraygal, Gadigal, Wangal, Kuringgai, Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung people. We pay our respects to their elders past, present and future. Sovereignty was never ceded.

Dedicated to our sons. All the work, before you and beyond, by your mama and dadda, is for you.

For your Yarta (Country), your story, your culture, your future.

Murdoch Books will donate $1 from the sale of each copy of this book to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

and

Gubinge (Kakadu plum, page 30)

Contents

First flavours 9

The ultimate in local food 10

How this book works 13

Ingredients guide 15

Stock your pantry 56

First Nations flavour wheel 58 Spice 63 Herbal 85 Nutty 105 Fruity 123

Medicine garden 135 Floral 143 Citrusy 173 Marine 195 Earthy 203

Tips on preserving 232

Stockists 234

Featured artists 236 Acknowledgements 238 Index 240

First flavours

There is nothing better than seeing the excitement and happiness on a child’s face when they are greeted with food. Our son Mallee is a willing consumer of all foods, especially First Nations foods, and he’s always happy to discover a new or unfamiliar flavour.

From an early age, Mallee’s introduction to native foods has been an open lunchbox. My parents and family share harvested foods from Country, and when we receive a new package from a harvester, grower or farmer, Mallee is almost always the first to try. Muntries and quandongs, eaten handfuls at a time, are his favourite. With every handful comes an opportunity to share stories through a First Nations lens. It’s this sense of adventure, discovery and wonder that we hope to share with you in this book.

The First Nations Food Companion is an opportunity for all people, young and old, from all backgrounds, to taste the flavours of the oldest living, continuous culture in the world. If we approach it with open arms and an open mind, like Mallee we have the opportunity to learn the provenance of each native species that has been enriched by ancient soils and carefully cultivated by traditional owners guided by complex knowledge systems. Celebrating First Nations peoples, their voices and resources, is an integral part of achieving our aspirations. The restoration of cultural practices reflective of complex kinship associations, strengthening the co-culture community relationships and the healing of Country are at the heart of restoring and reclaiming First Nations knowledge and creating a sustainable native foods industry that functions with integrity.

We can all play a role in supporting and strengthening our communities through First Nations foods. This can be as simple as sitting with Elders as equals, and listening respectfully with your heart. There is so much to be learnt from our knowledge keepers. Our ancient lands hold vast amounts of information, with interwoven histories shared over millennia that map our continent.

So, how do we find out more? By forging respectful, genuine and authentic relationships, engaging in experiences on Country outside of Reconciliation Week or NAIDOC week and listening with the intent to learn. By being open to feeling uncomfortable and challenged, by engaging in conversations and, most importantly, by taking responsibility for your own journey by supporting Aboriginal-led businesses and non-Aboriginal businesses operating with integrity and authenticity.

Over the past decade there has been a rapid growth in the native foods industry: First Nations foods are now front and centre at gin distilleries, featured on menus at local cafés and top restaurants in most major cities. Native botanicals that have provided health and wellness for diverse nations over many generations are new-but-old flavours for some. It is exciting to see Aboriginal and nonAboriginal businesses celebrating cultural heritage through their chosen products, but many native species featured in this book are significant to their place and community, and it’s important that this cultural and intellectual property remains with traditional owners.

As I get older, learning more about my culture has become a matter of urgency. Across Australia, Aboriginal languages are at great risk, with some already on the brink of no return and many extinct. As we lose languages, we also lose histories and family heritage; important knowledge systems left to sleep in the land. I see our foods as an equally important element of these systems.

Thank you for opening your hearts and minds to learning more about our rich cultures and amazing First Nations foods.

Damien Coulthard

The ultimate in local food

My journey into the First Nations food industry came about in 2013, when I first met Damien. As an advocate of local food my entire career, it soon became clear after meeting Damien how much I had left out of what ‘local’ really meant. How could I possibly be an advocate of local foods if I had never tried lemon myrtle or wattleseed?

When we reach adulthood, we think that it is near-impossible to try anything new or discover any foods that will challenge us. But even if you are a seasoned chef, or are familiar with some of these flavours, I can guarantee that there are First Nations foods you will find new, exciting and wonderful. My first experiences of many of these foods felt like being a child eating things for the first time. Of course, many First Nations foods no longer exist, after centuries of colonisation and destruction of traditional lands, but there are still more than 6500 of these foods all around Australia that are as local as it gets, as well as being nutritious and absolutely delicious.

In 2014 Damien and I created Warndu, an ethical lifestyle brand championing native foods. Our mission was to regenerate community, culture, tradition, health, seas and soils. Soon after this we decided it was time to properly live out our values around sustainable food and fulfil our desire to grow these foods, so they could be more widely shared, understood and enjoyed. We bought a property of 96 acres on Ngadjuri Country, in the Clare Valley, where we live off-grid in a straw-bale house surrounded by native forest. It’s here that we continue to grow our brand, grow our foods, and learn about these amazing native plants each and every day.

We are still learning, and always will be. These are the oldest foods eaten — but also the newest foods, in the sense that they are finally getting the attention they deserve. For some of them, we still don’t know for sure their Indigenous names or on whose Country they originated. Yet these foods are so important from environmental, cultural and health perspectives — they are absolutely not just a ‘foodie trend’. They are medicine, story and reconciliation. And they present potential climate-resilience solutions for this overfarmed and arid continent.

Having been immersed in the Indigenous foods industry for more than eight years, I have seen it grow steadily, and demand is now consistently outweighing supply. As an industry, we still have many issues to overcome, in particular ensuring that the intellectual property of these foods remains with First Nations people, plus an array of frustrating certification issues and supply-chain challenges. Even so, the growth, positivity and support from new consumers who are keen to learn along with us gives us the warm-fuzzies every day.

While growth is magnificent news for any industry, the particular challenges faced by the native foods industry mean that supply is not as consistent as we are used to in modern-day supermarkets. But if we all continue to work together, with the goal of growing the industry, we are confident that soon enough all the ingredients in this book will be available as part of every Australian’s weekly shop.

Rebecca Sullivan

Ingredients guide

The native foods in this culinary and planting guide have traditionally been used and eaten by First Nations peoples for tens of thousands of years. Due to the devastating impacts of colonisation, knowledge of many plants has been lost. Likewise, many Language names for known plants have been lost, or at least couldn’t be found after consulting with many Elders, colleagues and experts. For example, pepperberry (page 40) is quite well-known and easy to find, but has no known name in Palawa kani (the collective name for reconstructed Tasmanian language groups). On the other hand, some plants have many known names, as these can differ between regions and Language groups. This guide is organised in alphabetical order by English name, but leads with the Aboriginal Language name where available.

This is a guide to the foods of many First Nations, not just the ones near us. We’ve tried to highlight the most commonly known names for ingredients, or the names relevant to the places where particular plants are endemic and tend to grow. However, this guide cannot be, and does not aim to be, comprehensive or authoritative — we prefer to think of it as a living, growing repository of knowledge, hopefully with some practical and delicious uses. We hope it will encourage you to engage more meaningfully with First Nations foods, and hopefully will bring enough attention to these ingredients that it draws out further Indigenous knowledge and brings it into new use. We hope to update and revise this guide for future editions, so please get in touch through our website (warndu.com) if you know something we don’t.

General note on foraging: Where culturally appropriate, this directory also shares how to pick or forage plants. When doing so, it is essential to check the identity of any plant at least three times before picking, to make sure it is an edible species. Always ask permission if you’re on someone else’s property, and avoid major roadways due to potential pollutants. Most importantly, be respectful, both culturally and environmentally. Always take only what you need, and leave plenty behind for the birds and the bees.

Wurrganyga | Anise myrtle | Syzygium anisatum

Known as wurrganyga in Gumbaynggir (mid-north coast NSW), anise myrtle is a native rainforest plant whose leaves have a strong liquorice or aniseed flavour. Also known as ringwood and creeping myoporum, anise myrtle grows along the streams and lower slopes of the subtropical rainforests of northern New South Wales, around the Bellingen and Nambucca valleys. It is not only a wonderful addition to cooking; the leaf used as tea is a powerful digestive and great for stomach aches.

USE: Anywhere you want the flavour of fennel or liquorice (or, anise, of course). Dried or fresh leaves will impart flavour to sweet and savoury dishes. Ground leaves can be cooked or sprinkled on raw.

BUY: Fresh or dried.

PICK/FORAGE: Pick young, fresh leaves any time of year. More mature leaves are best for drying and infusions.

STORE: In the fridge or freezer. If dried, in an airtight container.

GROW: Anise myrtle prefers welldrained, nutrient-rich soil with morning sun and some shade. We have had huge success growing anise myrtle in pots. Established plants are relatively hardy and will tolerate dry weather.

Best in morning sun

Tolerates sandy soil and drought; keep well watered when flowering Good in gaps, hedges and screens

Biodiversity habitat

Djarduk | Bush apple | Syzygium forte

These apples, known as djarduk in Arnhem Land (north-eastern NT), are about the size of a small tennis ball and have a really huge seed in them. The fruit itself, which comes in a range of scarlet colours, is soft and tart. We love them sliced fresh into salads or just eaten like you would an apple (but navigating the seed). They can also be frozen whole for later use, or dehydrated. Also known as lady apple and wild apple, they have stunning rose-petal smell and flavour.

USE: Fresh or cooked, as you would apples or nashi. Dried, they’re a great snack for kids.

BUY: Online, fresh or frozen. Occasionally found at specialty shops in the right regions.

PICK/FORAGE: You need to be able to climb a tree safely to forage for this one, but you are unlikely to find it on nontraditional-owned land, so best to buy it.

STORE: In the fridge or freezer, or dried in an airtight container.

GROW: Loves warm, tropical parts of Australia, especially the Northern Territory and Queensland. The tree itself will grow to about 20 metres (65 feet) high.

Grow in full sun or part-shade

Suitable for pots

Hates frost

Biodiversity habitat

Gumbi gumbi | Native apricot | Pittosporum angustifolium

This native apricot, known as gumbi gumbi (particularly in inland Australia), was one of the very first plants we learnt about when foraging with Damien’s uncle Nola. The leaves make a very special cup of tea, which is not just aromatic and delicious, but also fights coughs and colds. We don’t bother with the fruit — they’re so bitter as to be inedible — but they’re beautiful. Be very careful to get the correct plant as there are several species referred to as gumbi gumbi. In other parts of Australia, it’s also called cumbi cumbi, meemeei, kurti (Adnyamathanha), weeping pittosporum, bitterbush, kurti, mondroo and mutja (Kaurna).

USE: Just for tea and only the leaves. Must be boiled, cooked or processed

BUY: As fresh or dried leaves. Or pick leaves to use straight from the tree.

PICK/FORAGE: Only pick the leaves and be sure to boil them before drinking.

STORE: If dried, store in an airtight container.

GROW: Gumbi Gumbi is one of the toughest plants out there. It will grow in a wide array of conditions but prefers it hot and dry with well-drained soil.

Grow in full sun and part-shade

Suitable for pots

Biodiversity habitat

Tolerates sandy soil and drought

Provides great shade

Ingredients guide: anise myrtle, apple, apricot

First Nations flavour wheel

This visual guide is an essential part of this book. Flavour wheels are so useful and my favourite one is in Niki Segnit’s book The Flavour Thesaurus . The flavour wheel opposite is a handy place to begin learning about the vibrant flavours First Nations foods offer, so you can appreciate why these ingredients are so special, and experiment with your own recipes and adaptations.

Gumbi Gumbi (Native Apricot, page 17)

Spice:

Bloodroot Cinnamon myrtle Pepperberry Pepperberry leaf Watercress

Forest / Bramble:

Atherton raspberry

llawarra plum

Native fig

Native juniper Sea rosemary

Spice Forest/Bramble

Nutty: Boab Bunya nut Macadamia Pindan nut Sandalwood Wattleseed

Citrusy:

Desert lime

Finger lime

Geraldton wax Green ants Lemon myrtle Lemon-scented gum

Lemon tea tree Rosella leaf Tamarind

Floral: Banksia Bottlebrush Grevillea Native lilies Rosella

Floral

ysurtiC ytiurF labreH eniraM

Fruity:

Bush apple

Kangaroo apple Midyim berry Muntries Native grape Quandong Riberry Tanami apple

Herbal:

Anise myrtle Eucalypt Island sea celery Native basil

Native thyme Peppermint gum River mint Sea parsley Strawberry gum Warrigal greens

Earthy:

Black ants Davidson’s plum Kangaroo

Vegetal:

Bush onion Bush tomato Dusty yam Native lilies Youlk

Marine: Barramundi Crocodile Iceplant Karkalla Oysters Samphire Yabbies

Strawberry Gum, Cherry and Riberry Tapioca Trifle

Kind of like a super-grown-up chia pudding, in trifle form. Give it a go for any festive occasion — the flavours are incredible. You can use chia in place of tapioca if you prefer, and any fruity

liqueur or syrup will work for the sponge.

Serves 10

2 cups (275 g) fresh (or frozen and thawed) native cherries

3½ cups (480 g) fresh (or frozen and thawed) cherries

1¼ cups (200 g) riberries or lilly pillies

2 tablespoons caster sugar, plus extra to taste

6 strawberry gum leaves or 1 teaspoon powder

80 g (2¾ oz) tapioca (sago)

400 g (14 oz) packet ladyfinger or savoiardi biscuits, or ½ bought sponge cake

1–1½ cups (250–375 ml) Økar amaro (or other amaro) or Lilly Pilly Cordial (page 68) or Rosella Syrup (page 144)

Edible flowers, to serve

WATTLESEED CUSTARD

350 ml (12 fl oz) milk

3 free-range eggs

¼ cup (30 g) cornflour

¹⁄³ cup (75 g) firmly packed brown sugar

1–2 teaspoons wattleseed extract (page 78)

CHERRY CREAM

²⁄³ cup (160 ml) pure cream

1 tablespoon pure icing sugar

½ teaspoon cherry or almond essence

For wattleseed custard, whisk milk, eggs and cornflour together in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Whisk constantly for 5 minutes, or until thick. Remove from heat and whisk in sugar and wattleseed extract until dissolved. Transfer to a small bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set.

Put cherries, riberries, sugar and strawberry gum leaves in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover by 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ in). Place over low-medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer, continuing to stir, for about 2 minutes or until cherries are soft. Remove from heat and remove strawberry gum leaves.

Cook tapioca using the instructions on the packet and rinse under cold water to remove starch.

For cherry cream, whip cream and icing sugar with an electric hand mixer until almost thick. Slowly drizzle in cherry essence and continue to whip until thick enough to hold the mixer up without it falling off.

To serve, arrange biscuits or sponge in the bottom of a large glass serving bowl. Pour Økar or cordial over to your preferred level of sogginess. Spoon most of the fruit on top, then pour in wattleseed custard. Spoon tapioca on top, then a layer of cherry cream. Decorate with remaining fruit, and garnish with edible flowers.

Substitution options:

Native cherries

 cherries

Riberries or lilly pillies

 blueberries

Wattleseed extract

 ground coffee or vanilla extract

Boonjie Tamarind and Macadamia Noodle Salad

A midweek meal that’s our take on a noodle salad using our rainforest favourite, the boonjie (or small-leaved) tamarind. Feel free to use any kind of noodle that you enjoy.

Serves 2

200 g (7 oz) bean noodles or soba noodles

¼ cup (50 g) karkalla or other native greens, chopped

2 carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 red capsicum, seeds removed, thinly sliced

1 cup (75 g) finely shredded white cabbage

100 g (3½ oz) snow peas, trimmed and thinly sliced lengthways

1 tablespoon island sea celery leaves

¼ cup (40 g) small-leaved tamarind, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground roasted wattleseed (optional)

1 cup (60 g) wild basil leaves, chopped, to serve Chopped macadamia nuts, to serve

DRESSING

1 garlic clove, crushed

¼ cup (40 g) macadamia butter (see page 108)

3 finger limes, pearls squeezed ¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup ½ teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon grated ginger

For dressing, place all ingredients in a blender with 1–2 tablespoons water and whiz to combine. Season to taste with salt and ground pepperberry.

Place vegetables in a bowl, add tamarind and wattleseed, then pour in dressing, tossing to combine and coat. Serve topped with basil and macadamia nuts.

Substitution options:

Karkalla  swiss chard or borage flowers

Island sea celery  celery stalks

Small-leaved tamarind  tamarind or unripe pineapple

Wild basil  holy basil Finger limes  lime juice

Barra Burger with Bush Tartare Sauce

The key here is to never overcook the fish. Keep it just under so it stays super-juicy.

Serves 2

2 barramundi fillets, pin-boned Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

2 burger buns or white rolls, cut in half

¼ cup (10 g) mixed greens, such as bower spinach, warrigal greens, karkalla and ice plant

1 large pickle, sliced

TARTARE SAUCE

1 cup (235 g) mayonnaise

2 finger limes, pearls squeezed (or 1 teaspoon powdered)

2 teaspoons finely chopped karkalla

1 teaspoon finely chopped seablite

2 gherkins, finely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped sea parsley leaves

Substitution options:

Finger limes

lime zest or lemon zest Karkalla

capers Seablite

capers

Sea parsley

curly parsley Barramundi

any fish of your choice

Native greens

rocket or spinach

For the tartare sauce, stir all ingredients together in a small bowl. Season to taste.

Brush the barramundi lightly with oil and season with salt. In a hot frying pan, lay the barramundi skin-side down and fry for 2–3 minutes until crisp. Flip and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until the flesh flakes easily. Spread top and base of rolls with tartare. Add the greens, then the barra and pickle. Top with lids and serve.